About

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

John McDonald was one of the Scots families that greeted James P. McPherson when he arrived in Wisconsin. The McDonald's lived in Verona, which was just over the ridge from the village of Springdale where McPherson would soon make his home.

On June 10th, 1850, McPherson noted that he removed a splinter from the foot of 13 year-old Isabella McDonald, daughter of John & Janet McDonald. Although her father, was often mentioned in the J. P. McPherson's diary, Isabella was not mentioned again until this June 1862 entry:

The 1860 Federal Census for Verona listed the 24 year-old Scotsman Linzy Wright as working as a day laborer for the McDonald's neighbor, John Eddy. When the young couple married in 1862, Wright was 26 years-old and his bride, 24 years-old. The Wrights later made their home in Bridge Creek, Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

3 comments:

Sheryl, I would imagine that going barefoot was the norm for kids in rural 1850s Wisconsin. I would imagine that it was a BIG splinter for old J.P. to have mentioned it in his diary. J.P. and Mary seemed to be very resourceful -- jack of all trades sort of people, which included a bit of healing as well.

About Me

A child of the 30’s and 40’s, “Betty Crocker” mom of the 50’s and 60’s, college student of the 70’s, businesswoman of the 80’ and 90’s, and finally retired to my home in the hills south of Ashland, Oregon, to garden, contemplate, and write.